Health minister Dube 'very firm' that 20,000 Quebec health-care workers need to get vaccinated by Oct. 15
The province's health-care workers will have to have both doses of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October or risk being suspended, Health Minister Christian Dube maintained Thursday.
Dube said he remains firm on his goal of ensuring the 20,000 workers in the network who are not yet fully vaccinated get their shots.
Asked today about the target, Dube says it's still possible to vaccinate 20,000 health workers -- which includes 10,000 who are in direct contact with patients -- by the deadline. He noted the number has already dipped from 30,000 in late August.
"Yes, it is possible, they can do it," Dube said in Quebec City when asked about the logistics. "We can vaccinate 100,000 persons per day. There's still 20,000 left, they should go right now."
But he has asked regional health officials to prepare a contingency plan in the event vaccination targets aren't met, adding that some workers could be assigned to perform administrative tasks from home.
Quebec on Thursday reported 782 new COVID-19 cases and two more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, with the province now over 400,000 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the new cases, nearly 80 per cent were people who were not adequately vaccinated.
The Health Department said six more people were in hospital for a total of 256, with 87 of those requiring intensive care, a rise of two patients.
According to the province's public health institute, 88.6 per cent of Quebecers aged 12 and up have received one dose of vaccine, with 83.7 per cent considered adequately vaccinated. The province administered 18,886 COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday.
Dube also says the government wants to attract more than 4,000 nurses to work in the public network through various financial incentives, which have yet to be announced. He said the nurses would come from private agencies and out of retirement, and details of the plan will be provided next week.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 16, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.